The Life of The Wife
by GracieGirl101
Summary: "People think being a firefighter is hard. Try being a firefighter's wife." Joy is the perfect wife, with the perfect family. But when tragedy hits her daughter and husband John Gage, will she be able to survive? And furthermore, will John be able to?
1. Chapter 1

The Life of The Wife

By: GracieGirl101

_**DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it. The story, itself, is the property of the author.**_

Chapter 1:

John Gage woke up in his bed, next to his favorite person in the whole world. He leaned over and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Morning Honey." Joy Gage woke slowly, opening twinkling green eyes. "Morning to you too Mister," She said as her husband crawled out of bed. He dressed quickly, as his years of waking to tones in the middle of the night had forced him to learn to do.

Joy crawled out of bed leisurely, slipping into her robe and slippers as she began her descent down the stairs after Johnny. It was a little bit early, so she hoped she would be able to talk to her beloved for a few minutes before he left. A hand went up to her mouth in an attempt to stifle a yawn as she walked into the brightly sun lit kitchen. Johnny looked wonderful as always with his dark hair lying perfectly around his ears and those chocolate brown eyes seeming to melt her heart.

The paramedic got up from where he sat at the large dining room style table, and pulled out the chair next to where he was sitting. "There you go Mrs. Gage," He said wearing his famous 'Gage Grin'. Joy smiled back and sat down in hr chair, a cup of coffee waiting in front of her.

"What a gentleman," She cooed. "Now, remember that Serenity's play is tomorrow, so make sure to actually get some rest and eat this shift. I told Roy, and he'll be keeping an eye on you too. Joanne Desoto and I are helping with the costumes and kids, so we won't be here when you get odd. Make sure to be at the school at 10:00 o'clock _sharp._" She glanced down at her watch, and saw what time it was. "It's time for you to go."

Johnny smiled at his always collected and organized wife, as he put a batch of cookies in his arms. _How does she do it? _He thought. "Tell the guys to enjoy and you. You be careful," She whispered, softly planting a kiss on his forehead. Johnny kissed her back, drawing in the sweet scent of flowers that rested in her long wavy blonde hair. "I promise." He then pulled back, his soft smile once more taken away by a grin. "Have I ever told you how much I love you Joy?" Joy looked at him. "Hmmm….. I don't know." She paused, the murmured, "I love you too." She then swatted his arm. "Now get out of my house!"

XXXXXX

The petite blond paremedic firefighter's wife began about her housework as soon as Johnny left. She heated up some pancakes and bacon for breakfast, but made sure they didn't touch for her vegetarian daughter. She then left the table, fed the large sum of animals her family had acquired over the years and got ready for the day. Joy managed to sit down for a minute, and breathed a sigh of relief at having some peace and quiet. Of course, it didn't last long, and within seconds her son and daughter were stomping down the steps.

"Well good morning you two!" She said in a sing-song voice. "Go wash up, and I'll get your little brother and then help you get ready for church." They complied and ran into the bathroom, her 4 year old son, Adam, yelling at her 13 year old daughter Serenity about taking his toothpaste.

Joy climbed the stairs to go retrieve her youngest. 1 year old Jake. He had just woken, and she picked him up quickly with skilled hands. A quick change and placed quickly on her hip, she made her way into Adam's navy blue room.

Her middle child was looking at his dresser drawers as if they held the secret to life. She smiled as he contemplated what to wear, but knew from experience he didn't know fashion. She pulled out an outfit, combed his hair and told him to come downstairs when he was dressed, all while holding the baby.

Serenity's room was the next stop, although she never needed much help. As expected, when Joy entered the room, her beautiful daughter was almost ready. She had chosen a simple blue sun-dress, much like the one her mother had on, and had woven some blue flowers into her long blonde braid that was slung over her shoulder. Serneity smiled up at her mother when she entered. Now she was trying to put in soft white studs. Her outfit complimented her sparkling blue eyes.

"How's my precious princess?" Joy beamed down at her oldest child, using a nickname from her childhood. Serenity Grace Gage blushed slightly.

"I'm doing fine. Can I come down?" Her mom nodded and proceeded to head down herself. The sweet aroma of pancakes and bacon welcomed the threesome into the kitchen. Admam was already seated at the table, and Serenity ruffled his hair as she passed. She grabbed Jake from her mom and plopped him in the baby seat, pulling up her own chair next to Adam.

Joy smiled at her happy little family, her dearest treasure. "Anyone care to say Grace?" She said, with a meaningful glance at her son who was reaching for a pancake. He dropped it, and folded her hands. They all bowed their heads, and since no one volunteered, Joy started. "Dear Savior in Heaven, please bless this day and the food on our table. Help us to celebrate this holy Sunday, and please keep Daddy safe at work. Amen." She said, smiling as her son imideatly reached for the food when she was done.

Once they all had something to eat, Serenity not having any meat on her plate. "So, how is everyone?" The mom of three asked. Jake made a gurgling sound and they all laughed. "Thanks for the input Jakey Jake." Adam looked up, eager to talk.

"I'm fo exfited fo chuch foday." He said, food spilling out of his mouth. They all laughed again, as he blushed and finished chewing. Joy looked around at her happy little family, a smile dancing across her face. Little did she know that this perfect scene would end before she knew it.

Had to end with a cliffhanger! Please review, but don't be mean. Remember, I'm just going into MIDDLE SCHOOL for goodness sakes, so I'm not very good! :P


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Life of The Wife

Joy finished wrapping her long hair up into a bun just as the kids were finished washing the dishes. Her hand was still on her hair as she walked out to see the kitchen clean….well as clean as the kids could do it. She smiled at their enthusiasm, always wanting to please. "Okay, come on, let's get into the car. Serenity, can you grab Jake? I got my hands full with today's Sunday School lesson." She said with a smile, her hands filled with papers and books.

Serenity smiled back, although it certainly wasn't genuine. As she picked up her little brother, ushering her other one out of the door, she thought about what was waiting her at the Church. Such a holy place, yet it was so dreaded. _Amazing how one person can turn something so evil. _ She thought, each step filling her with more apprehension. Her hands worked quickly, buckling in her two sweet little brothers into their seats, and climbing into the front seat next to her mom. Joy on the other hand was excited for Church, just like Adam. Yes, it was sad that her husband couldn't be there, but that was something she had gotten used to. Their church was an escape for her, a place where she could let everything go. And, she loved teaching the kid's Sunday school. Church was certainly the highlight of each week for her. Joy glanced over at her daughter as she turned the keys in the minivan. She didn't seem very happy. "Everything okay?" Joy asked, a look of concern clear on her face. _Whatever could be the matter? I hope nothing major is wrong. Oh, I hope she talks to me. _Serenity's mother thought worriedly. Serenity jumped slightly, startled at her mother's sudden words. Adam was babbling in the back, and she didn't think Joy was paying any attention to her. "Ya.. ya, everything's good. Just thinking." That was true. She was thinking. It just wasn't true that everything was good, but that was just a small white lie. Nothing too serious. As Adam gabbed on, she let her mind loose her in a flashback, 2 years ago. _She was exiting the small little Sunday school room, a smile playing on her lips. Her mom and Adam were still in the room, packing up all of the things. Since she helped her mom teach, Serenity got out of helping clean up. Adam, of course, enjoyed helping his mom clean up anyway. It was a great day, even though Dad hadn't been there. As she walked out, she bumped into a group of 3 girls, just standing there. _ "_Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't see you. Have a nice day." She said, starting for the car. Three hands rammed into her chest, and stopped her from moving. At that moment, she realized those girls were waiting for __her. __And she was in some deep trouble._ "_Na-ah. You aren't going nowhere Blonde." The tallest of the girls told her, obviously the leader. They pushed her outside, where no one would hear. Before she knew what was happening, they were hurling their poison words at her, striking her hear, their target. "Ugly. Dumb Blonde. Fat. Mean. Sinner. You're going to __hell." __Tears misted Serenity's eyes. Once they had all taken a shot at her, the biggest of the girls pushed her down to the ground, and they all walked away laughing._ _Serenity ran to the bathroom, tears flowing down her face. She tried desperately to wash up, scrubbing away at the dirt that stuck to her hands and face. She washed the tears, took a deep breath, and headed out to face her mom. _ Serenity remembered how she had told her mom she had just fallen, and how she had closed up after that. She didn't change too much so anyone would notice, but she knew she had to be more careful now so she didn't make anyone else realize all of those things she thought she was. The girls at school already knew who she was, according to these girls, and she didn't want her family to think so too. XXXXXX The mostly happy Gage family walked out to the car, chatting happily with the Desoto's. Everyone was too absorbed in their talks to notice Serenity's quiet behavior. The 3 girls had told her to be at school early tomorrow, 7:00 o'clock am instead of 8:30 like normal. Or else. She knew she had to be there, but she was scared. And what would she tell her mom? XXXXXX Serenity walked out to greet her mom in the kitchen, twisting her hands nervously. "Well hello there!" Her mom greeted her cheerily. "Hey mom. So, tomorrow, I need to go in early, at 7:00 for play practice. Sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I forgot." She said, forcing herself to keep her hands still. Joy fixed her daughter with a gaze, trying to figure out what was going on. Her daughter had never forgotten something like this. But she also knew that her daughter had been stressed by the play, and maybe it had just crossed her mind. "Okayyy… We'll leave around 6:50 tomorrow. Now, I have to make a phone call." Joy said, getting up from her chair and walking over to the phone. Serenity breathed a sigh of relief, and walked upstairs. Meanwhile, Johnny was sitting at the kitchen table in Station 51, discussing a call they had gotten with Chet. Cap trotted in. "Johnny, call in the office." Chet took that as an opportunity to pick on his pigeon. "Ohhh….. I wonder what you did to get a call in the office John!" Everyone knew that calls in the office weren't always the best. Johnny rolled his eyes at his friend, and walked into the office and picked up the phone. "Hello, John Gage here." He said. His wife's voice answered. "Uhhu. No, she didn't say anything about it to me. Are you going to take her? Yes, I would do that too. Yep. I love you too. I won't be home until about noon, we have a longer shift. Good bye. Tell the kids I said hi. Love you." And he put down the phone. "Everything okay?" The members of his shift asked as he walked back into the kitchen. "Ya, just something about Serenity." He said, slightly distracted. They all immediately froze. Serenity was like everyone's daughter in the shift. "Is she okay?" Roy asked. "Fine, thanks." XXXXXX Serenity yawned and crawled out of bed, her alarm beeping. She had told her mom that she needed to be at school early, 7 this morning, for play practice. Her mom had bought it. The 13 year old hurriedly got dressed, as it was already 6:30, and they needed to leave at 6:50. She threw out a simple skirt and a blue shirt, combed out her hair and pulled it into a pony tail, and raced downstairs. "Morning hon!" Joy said, holding Jake and trying to get Adam to eat something. "You almost ready?" Serenity nodded, shoveling in some toast and eggs. Joy laughed at her daughter's hurry. "I'll get the boys in the car, you meet me out there." She simply just nodded again, slinging her green backpack over her shoulder, and walked out to join her family. Joy was a bit curious about why her daughter had waited so long to tell her, and had even called Johnny to see if she had talked to him about it. She hadn't. But, she trusted her daughter to be responsible, and be here for the right thing. Not far from the school, station 51 was waking up. Johnny poured himself a cup of coffee and plopped himself down in a chair. Cap walked in after him, followed by Roy. "Everything okay Pal?" Cap asked. "Kind of. I'm worried about Serenity. She told Joy that she had play practice this morning at 7. But she just told her yesterday." Chet walked in, a concerned look on his face. "That doesn't seem like her." Johnny nodded. "I know. Something about it just doesn't feel right." "_Station 51, girl down. Critical condition. 6782 Glenwood Drive. Time out 730."_ John's stomach lurched. That was his daughter's school.

Thank you for all the great reviews! They make me want to keep writing, and it means a ton to me! Please keep it up, and sorry the chapters are so short! 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

LAST TIME: I changed the end of the chapter. Johnny just responded to a call of a man down, and the school now starts at 9:30. Also, sorry about the long paragraph yesterday! I had separate paragraphs, and for some reason it turned it into one! I couldn't figure out how to fix it! SORRY!

Serenity's hands trembled as she walked out of the car, shutting the blue door. Joy rolled down the window, noticing how her daughter trembled slightly. "Good Luck! Tell Mrs. Stroh I said hi, and I'll be there about 11:00 to help get everything ready." Her daughter simply nodded at the mention of the play director, too lost in her own thoughts to speak. _God, I hope she doesn't talk to Mrs. Stroh about it! Then I'll be in real trouble. _

3 girls waited in the corner, the tallest peeking out of the corner to see the beautiful blonde crawl out of her car. She waited silently until she made sure the car was completely gone, the girl looked around timidly. As soon as she was sure it was gone, she waved the other girls out with her, a bottle behind her back.

"Hey Serenity," They chimed in a sing-song voice. Serenity didn't even force herself to smile. "Why am I here?" She asked coolly, although she could feel her hands starting to get damp. The second in command, a brunette, smiled. "We just wana hang out with our buddy!" She said cheerily. Serenity winced. She didn't like were this was going.

Before she knew it, a bottle was pressed up to her nose. "Drink it. Or else I'll punch your guts out." The largest girl threatened. The drink smelled foul, like the thing her dad drunk sometimes. She knew what it was, and she knew she didn't want to- and shouldn't- drink it. But she also knew how one of June's punches could feel, and she **knew **she wanted to avoid it. And, she was afraid she wouldn't fit in…..

The disgusting liquid slithered down her thought like a snake. She almost spit it out, but was afraid of what would happen if she did. June clapped her on the back, like she was a good pal. The drink was passed around the girls, and they all drank some. As it was passed back to Serenity, she drank. She was still thinking about the punch.

The drink was gone in what seemed like too fast to the mean three-some, but in what seemed like an eternity to Serenity. The girls smiled, but not in a nice way. It was in a way that seemed like it was saying _I'm so excited that I have something awful in store for you! Yippee! _Oh, how she had learned to dread that smile. June threw the bottle at her sandaled foot, and crushed the bottle on the bare, now bleeding skin. "Take that, Indian." She hissed.

Serenity stood tall until the girls left, then she crumbled to the ground, sobbing. Her foot was in shambles, bloody and with glass sticking out of various places. There were a few drops of the liquid left, and it had soaked into her cuts, making them sting like crazy. She just lay there, in a little ball, crying her heart out. The pain was almost un-bearable, and her heart seemed to lay in pieces, scattered on the ground.

XXXXXX

It was 9:15 when someone finally found the crumpled girl outside. Mrs. Mitchell, a 4th grade teacher had just come out to get something out of her car real quick before school started, and had come out a different way. She thought she had seen something in the corner, but wasn't sure. Then, the teacher had seen it shake, and came racing over.

A gasp escaped her mouth as she saw a small puddle of blood. The hair was unmistakably Serenity's. "Serenity! What happened to you?" Mrs. Mitchell exclaimed. Big blue eyes blinked up at her, but there was no answer. Serenity didn't have the energy to make a sound. "I'm calling 911. Don't go anywhere." With that, she raced into the building and picked up the phone.

Serenity rolled her eyes slightly. Of course she wasn't going anywhere. She didn't feel like she could move a muscle, she was so sore and tired. She curled back up into her ball, trying to block out all the sounds around here. The sirens greeted her ears in record time, and dread weighed her heart as she thought about who had answered the call. She knew everyone at the station, and in the paramedic program. They would want to know what happened.

John and Roy pulled into the school, and John jumped out almost before the car had stopped and raced to grab the drug box. Roy put a comforting hand on his partner's shoulder, helping grab the boxes. "Calm. Down. It could be just a little thing, and we don't even know if it's her. Just calm down." He said, trying to reason with him. Johnny sighed.

"I know. I just have a really bad feeling about this." A teacher ran up and grabbed their arms. "This way!" she said, pulling them over to the large playground. Johnny gasped as he saw the figure lying on the ground. He knew that shape anywhere. That was his daughter.

Both of the paramedics ran over as fast as they could. Johnny rolled her over gently. "Honey? Honey, are you okay? Where do you hurt?" He asked, forcing himself to stay calm as he began examining her softly. He got even more worried when she didn't answer. Roy turned to him. "What are the vitals?" He asked quietly, lowering the bio-phone slightly.

"Respirations 8 and slow, pulse 60, BP _-. Victim has lost a lot of blood." ((I don't know how to do the BP. SORRY!)) Roy relayed the info to Rampart. Dixie pressed the little button on the phone to speak.

"51, is patient conscious?" She asked, looking over her notes. Dr. Brackett walked up, and Dixie handed the note book to him. He too scanned the notes.

Roy glanced over at Serenity, making sure she was still conscious. He saw Johnny trying to talk to her, but she didn't say a word. "Affirmative Rampart, but victim is not speaking when asked questions." Dixie shot a quizzical glance at Kel. He shrugged his shoulders.

Brackett made a quick decision, and pressed the button. "51, start an IV D5W TKO and transport as soon as possible." He heard Roy's response, telling him he read. "Dixie, can you set up room 3?" He asked, knowing that she would know what to do. The head nurse nodded her head and walked off.

Roy reached into the drug box; grabbing the IV he was looking for. He crawled over to where she was on the ground, a grim expression on her face. "Hey sweetie. I'm gona just start this IV really quick on you, so you'll feel a slight pinch." He grew even more worried when there was no reaction, even when he started the IV. Johnny shot him a concerned look, but Roy had no answers for him.

The two ambulance attendants had come out with a gurney. Roy and Johnny lifted Serenity carefully onto the gurney, trying not to move her foot that much. She was wheeled over to the back, and lifted up. Johnny was getting more concerned by the minute. Serenity always protested any care that anyone tried to give her, just like her father. She had not made a peep or a move.

Roy slapped the back of the ambulance twice, and ran to get their stuff. After reassuring the teacher that Johnny's daughter would be fine, he hopped in the squad and followed the ambulance to the hospital. His heart was still racing. As a paramedic, he wasn't worried about the physical condition of the victim, but as an adopted uncle, he was worried about the mental state of the victim.

XXXXXX

Dixie was ready to greet the ambulance at the doors. As the gurney was wheeled out, she gasped. Not because the patient was in bad shape, the only thing needed would probably be some stitches, a tetanus shot and getting the glass out. But, because she hadn't expected the victim that appeared. She knew this girl. In fact, everyone in the hospital knew her.

"Room….3" Dixie said, still recovering from the shock. Roy had just come in the door, and was following the entourage of medical personal. Brackett was waiting in treatment room 3, and he too was shocked as the victim was wheeled in. "Well, hello there Serenity. You ready to get this thing done?" He asked. She didn't reply, didn't even nod her head. Roy and Johnny lifted her carefully up onto the table, but she was allowed to sit up.

Serenity's mind was a mess. She had all of the words of the girls running through her heads, and the pain was excruciating. She knew she would have to say something soon, or else they would start testing to see why she wasn't talking. And that was not desirable. She also didn't want Johnny, Roy or Dixie there when she talked. In fact, she just wanted Dr. Brackett. Unlike some people, she looked to Dr. Brackett as someone she could talk to, and he knew he wouldn't make too big of a deal about it.

Bright blue eyes starred up at the doc, and he watched as the quickly darted from him to the other people in the room. He immediately understood. "Johnny, Roy, Dixie would you mind giving me a minute?" He asked, trying to be as subtle as possible. They, luckily, didn't catch what he was doing, and left a little bit confused. He heard Serenity sigh slightly, and had to bite back a chuckle. "Now, how about you tell me how you're feeling?"

Another small sigh escaped Serenity's lips, and she hoped the dark haired doctor hadn't heard. She saw so relieved that he hadn't asked how it had happened- at least not yet. "My foot hurts a lot, but I think that's all." Dr. Brackett nodded.

"So, I'm just going to numb up this foot and then remove this glass. Then I'll stitch up some of these cuts." He told her, knowing it would do no good to just start before he informed her on what would happen. He inserted the shot, sad to see no reaction from her. Something was really wrong. "Now, while that's numbing up, why don't you tell me what happened?"

XXXXXX

Thank you so much for all the comments! They really mean a lot to me, and I hope you'll keep reviewing. I'm trying my best to make this a good story, but it can be hard. Serenity is based a lot off a real person (But they didn't die! :P ), so it's easy for me to write this.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Serenity yawned, raising herself up in the bed, sterile white sheets surrounding her. An IV was still stuck in her arm as Dr. Brackett didn't want to take any chances. Of course. She remembered how Dr. Early had come in last night, and she had talked to him a little too. But when asked how it happened, again, she had closed up. No way would anyone find out.

Dr. Early walked into the room to help Serenity get ready to leave because Dr. Brackett was talking with Johnny and Joy. "Well good morning Sunshine." He said cheerily. She smiled slightly, but you could hardly tell her lips had moved at all. "SO, I have your clothes here, and I'll leave for a minute to let you get changed. Let me just take this IV out, and call me when you're done." He said. Both Dr. Brackett and he had decided they would be the only ones allowed in, so a nurse wouldn't come in to remove the IV. He carefully pulled out the needle, and taped a piece of gauze over the incision.

As soon as Dr. Early had left, Serenity began pulling on her clothes, struggling hugely. After about 10 minutes she finally managed to get the on, still in bed. She pressed the little button by her bed, and laid back to wait. Her mind drifted once more to the girls that she knew she would have to see in a couple minutes. And also how disappointed she was that she couldn't be in the play she had worked so hard for. SO very hard for…

Meanwhile, in the waiting room, two very concerned parents sat. Dr. Brackett came out of a Treatment room, and motioned for them to follow. They got up and did just that, right to the doctor's office.

"Sit down." The doctor said, motioning to the chairs. Joy and Johnny did just that, worried about their little girl. _I swear, I don't think I've ever seen Johnny so quiet besides when he's unconscious! _He thought, knowing how worried he was about Serenity. "Serenity is fine. Her foot should heal nicely, as long as you make sure she keeps that cast on. I'll want to check it out about every 2 weeks to make sure everything is going correctly, as it was fractured, and some of the cuts were very deep. I'll be able to take it off in 6 weeks."

Johnny looked at his friend, a confused look on his face. "So, what's wrong?"

Dr. Brackett sighed, not wanting to have to talk to John about this. "To be honest, I'm not sure exactly. But Serenity hasn't been talking very much to us, and seems to be distracted. I can't really get any reaction out of her, about anything. I wanted to warn you, and to ask you to try not to pry too much. Now, I'm going to make sure everything is going good, and I'll have her out in a minute.

With that, Dr. Brackett stood up and headed over to Serenity's room. Dr. Early was just heading over also, after seeing the call light from her room. "I got it Joe." He said, and walked into the room. His patient was lying on the bed, eyes slightly closed. "Hey Serenity." He said. "Ready to go?"

She nodded slightly, and made a move to stand up. She swayed, but Dr. Brackett's strong arms steadied her. "Wow there. Don't go too fast." He said, helping her to the chair. He then grabbed the handles, and pushed her out of the room to two waiting parents. "Serenity! Oh I was so worried about you!" Joy called, her eyes wet. Kel smiled at her concern, knowing she was now in good hands.

Johnny looked at his precious daughter, and his wife embracing her. His heart sank as he saw her return the hug, but not at all like she normally did. It was feeble, and not genuine. "Hey honey. How are you?" His blood-pumping organ sunk an inch lower when she didn't respond.

Dr. Brackett saw the reaction on his paramedic's face, and instantly began attempting to ease the tension he felt wafting off of him. "So, let's get you down to the car Princess." He told his patient, grabbing hold of the handle bars of the wheelchair. He pushed it down the hall, Johnny following and Joy still fussing over her girl.

As Serenity was wheeled out of the hospital and to the Gage's car, Dr. Bracket began helping her out of the chair. She relaxed slightly, glad to be getting out. Dr. Brackett smiled slightly, noticing the change of posture. _Hopefully everything will be okay, _He thought, trying not to be TOO optimistic

Johnny thanked Dr. Brackett and then got into the car after his wife, modeling his quiet partner Roy more than himself. He was too lost in his own thoughts, wishing that Serenity would talk to him. But he was almost certain that his fantasy would not be coming true.

He took that opportunity to speak, making his voice light and friendly like normal. "So, we have you out of school until next Monday, since the weekend is coming up anyway. And Saturday we have that banquet with church people and your uncles. Does that sound like fun?" Serenity just stared out the window.

When they arrived to their Ranch, Johnny jumped out of the car before anyone else could move. He opened Serenity's door, as she unbuckled the seat belt. "Here let me help you." He said, concern showing clearly in his voice. She nodded, and he reached in to help. She grabbed onto his arm, and started getting out. He helped her, grabbing her when she stumbled. She walked into the house with his help, Joy close by.

"Let's get you to bed where you can rest." A very concerned mother said, grabbing a hold of two crutches and handing them to her princess. Serenity took them, hooking them under her arm. When she walked over to the staircase, Joy came over. "Honey, let's have you rest in the guest room until you can walk a little better." She said softly, gently urging her in that direction. Her daughter nodded, and hobbled into the room, sinking into the bed.

Joy raced out of the room and up to Serenity's room. She grabbed some books and magazines for her daughter to do, and raced back upstairs. "Here sweetie. I'll get you something to eat while you rest. Just call if you need anything." She said, trotting out of the room.

Johnny walked up to his wife, seeing her distracted look. "She'll be fine J. She just has a foot injury and the only reason she was kept overnight was because of the blood loss. She just needs to rest for a day, and then she'll be fine. It's just a foot injury." He repeated, trying to reason with his wife.

"And a broken heart." She muttered quietly. Johnny sighed, knowing his wife was right. Something was seriously wrong with his normally perky and fun daughter. And he was going to get to the bottom of it.

XXXXXX

Serenity sat on her bed, her bright blue eyes sparkling with tears and her long blonde hair cascading down her back. She let her head fall into her hands, tears wetting them. Her heart hurt, more than any of the injuries she had acquired. And the party tomorrow. The three would be there. How would she face them?

She began whispering to herself all the things she had learned she was. "You're just a stupid Indian. You're dumb, selfish, fat, ugly and mean. You're careless and can't do anything right. You're a waste of air. You should just kill yourself."

The beautiful blonde girl wanted something besides this horrible aching in her heart. She slipped quietly out of bed, slinging her long legs over the bed. She tip-toed (although it was hard to do in her cast) into the kitchen and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a sharp kitchen knife. She then walked back into the guest room and sat back down on the bed.

She pulled back her nightgown to reveal her leg. It would be a place no one would see. Serenity lifted the knife, heavy in her palm, and cut her leg. Blood satisfyingly showed, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was so nice to feel pain other than her emotional type.

Serenity lay back down on her bed, her hair now drifting around her neck. She felt happier, the pain a welcome new friend. One that would be seen often in the next months.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Joy tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep She glanced over at the small alarm clock that sat by her bed. Only 12:00. The concerned mother rolled over to her other side, looking ruefully at the empty space. Of all nights, why did Johnny have to work tonight? She needed someone with her, even if she didn't know why. How desperately she wanted to talk to him about her worries, but he was at work, and it was defiantly too late to call.

Her motherly instincts were screaming at her, warning something was wrong with her babies downstairs. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not put her finger on _what _was wrong. There was no crying, no suspicious noises, nothing. "You're being silly Joy. You're just paranoid because Johnny's not here. Calm. Down." She scolded herself. But why did she feel something was amiss?

"Morning sweetie." Joy awoke with a start, jumping straight out of bed, when a gentle kiss was plated on her forehead.

"Oh sorry hon, I didn't mean to startle you." Johnny said softly to his dazed wife. Joy gave a weak smile, and returned the kiss.

"Was not your fault precious. What time is it?" She asked suddenly, wondering if her husband had gotten home early. She was always up before he came home. With a quick glace at the clock, she answered her own question. "_9:00? _Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I slept in. Are the kids up, is everything okay?" She panicked, slightly paranoid due to the warning bells in her head.

Johnny stared at his wife, a puzzled look evident on his face. "Everything's fine. I think they're still asleep. I just got home though. Are you okay?"

Joy sighed. "Physically, yes." She said with a deliberate glance at his hand going for her wrist to get a pulse. "It's just la-." She let out an even bigger sigh as she heard the sharp wail of Jake crying. Johnny smiled sympathetically as Joy got up and made her way down to the baby's room. As she began nearing the green room that held a precious piece of cargo, her sense that something was wrong got strong. Something WAS wrong, she knew that. _But what?_

As Joy entered her baby's room, her eyes searched the space with a fine-tooth comb, making sure nothing was wrong. But her youngest child's cry demanded her attention, and she pulled him out of the crib.

"Well good morning Jakey Poo!" She cooed, bouncing him up and down, to the delight of the child. "Wana go see your brother and sister? Huh" She smiled at the now laughing child's face, before changing him quickly, and heading out of the room.

Adam's bedroom was next, but for some odd reason she felt compelled to go to Serenity's room. So she did.

Joy pushed open the door quietly, so she wouldn't wake her daughter if she was still asleep. She stepped quietly in, and almost dropped Jake as her eye's landed on the white bed. There had been something wrong last night. It had been too quite. Her daughter was gone.

XXXX

Feet pound the ground of a dark alley. A tear stained face stands out like a flower in a sea of trash. Blonde hair streams behind the running body, belonging to a far too thin girl. She almost trips on a stray ball, kicking it accidently into an angry cat. As she keeps on going, her thoughts start to drift.

"_Stupid, fat little brat. Dumb blonde. Ugly. You must be at least 30 pounds overweight!"_

_The girl looked at the girls circling her. Their poison words struck her like a bullet, hitting their target. Straight into her heart. She felt like she might collapse._

"_Everyone hates you. Cause' you're so dumb and mean. You shouldn't even be alive. You're a waste of air. I mean, look at yourself! People as fat as you make me sick. Just kill yourself."_

_The voices and words of the girls slurred together. And it was all one big horrid ugly voice. One out to get her. One out to ruin her life. One that was determined to make her punish for who knows what._

Then another thought popped into her mind with a bang. Pictures filled her mind, blurred her vision. She tried to push it away, tried to take deep breathes and stay 'strong'.

_The already petite blonde peered intently into a full length mirror, scowling at what she saw. While everyone else would see a little bit too thin, but beautiful young lady, she only saw the words others had told her. Ugly, fat, dirty. Those people had made it her image for ever, a tattoo on her mind._

_The abused and battered girl picked at her food, trying desperately to make it look like she'd eaten more than the one bit of pesto pasta, and non-fattening veggies. It didn't matter that this was her favorite meal, and she longed for just one bite of that butter covered mashed potatoes. _

_As soon as she was excused (she had fed some of the food to the dog), she raced up the stairs that led to her bedroom. She shut the door quietly, and hopefully bounced onto the scale she had bought at the dime store. With a smile, she kissed the numbers in her mind. Down to 80 pounds, only 20 more to go. __**Maybe the girls won't hate me now.**_

XXXXXX

"She... She can't be gone!" A distressed Joy sobbed into her hands. Johnny wrapped an arm protectively around his wife's shoulder, and gave a pleading look to the police officers that stood in the living room.

"And you're sure she isn't at a friends house or somewhere else close?" One of the officers repeated, an annoyed look evident on his face. Johnny's gaze instantly turned hard, wishing Vince was here instead of this brute who was making everything worse.

"Yes, I'm 'sure'." He growled, the corners of his lips twitching into a scowl as he stared the police officer. "Now stop asking stupid questions already said, and Find. Her."

The older man spoke again. "FINE!" And left, slamming the door loudly behind him. Johnny was shaking slightly from rage as he turned to his still sobbing beloved.

"You okay pumpkin?" He asked slowing, trying to un tense the body he didn't know had been tensed. She just weakly nodded. "I know it's hard, but the police will do their best to find her." He lied through his teeth.

Joy sighed heavily. "I know they will TRY, but how do we know they'll succeed?" Johnny let out a sigh of his own. They didn't.

XXXXXX

Trash littered the ground, flying around in the wind. The girl continued to run, her thoughts drifting like the trash around her feet.

_A knife rested in her palm, the weight and textured recognizable and friendly. She quieted her footsteps as she walked back to her bedroom from the kitchen. She cut softly at first, but then seeing no blood, continued a little harder. __**"You're still fat! And ugly, rude and a little thief." She would never be good enough.**_

XXXXXX

Johnny twirled his cold coffee cup. "Damn it, why can't they just find her?"

Roy reached down and stopped the coffee cup that was on the verge of spilling with a finger. "They're doing their best Junior. How about you, Joy and the kids come over for dinner tomorrow night. I can ask Jenny if she'll watch the kids- I know she will- and give you guys a little break. You, for one, certainly need it."

Johnny sighed at his partner's helpful offer. "That's nice of you but I don't want to impo-"

Roy saw where this was going, and interjected. "It's not imposing if it's offered. You're coming." He said, grabbing the cold coffee cup and walking away, showing that this was not open for discussion.

Chet skipped into the room, a happy mess. At the sight of his usually bouncy pigeon, he remembered that Cap had said something wasn't right. So he didn't tease him on the coffee stain he had left on the table. Even though it was _very _temping. "What's up Babe? Another girl dump you?" He asked, sliding into the chair next to John.

"Serenity's gone." The pigeon told the phantom matter of factly. Chet's mouth dropped open, seeming to hit the table with a thud that broke his heart.

Johnny pushed in his chair and turned to Chet. "Close your mouth. You'll let in flies." He said in a monotone voice before leaving the room. Chet quickly closed his mouth.

Meanwhile, Joy was trying to put on a brave face. Adam knew his sister was gone for a little while. He expected she was at a friend's or somethin. But _she_ knew Adam would be able to tell it was something a little more serious if she let it get to her.

The door bell rang, and Joy walked over to get it, Adam clinging to her leg like a leech and Jake on her hip.

"Oh my!" Mrs. Webster, the Gage's neighbor cried out as the door was creaked open. She reached down and scooped up Adam, rescuing the worn out wife from the leech. "I was coming over to see if you needed anything, and I think that's a yes." She said, also grabbing Jake, and then started down the walk. "I'll have them back by 8!"

When the children and neighbor had left, a bewildered and thankful Joy contemplated what to do. Finally, she decided on a nice bubble bath, but reluctantly got out when the door bell rang again.

"ONE SEC!" She called, slipping into her clothes. In record time, she opened the door fully dressed.

On the step stood Mary Stanley. "Mary! Come in!" Hank's wife walked in, a concerned look on her face.

"Stop acting. I know you're hurtin." Joy sighed. Mary just sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to her. "Sit." She sat.

And then she broke down. "She.. She... just can't be...g...gggone!' Mary held her mourning friend, just letting her cry. Joy looked up, grateful for her friend, but wishing her husband could be there. "It really stinks being a firefighter's wife."

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and comments. I am so sorry I haven't posted in ages. I got some writer's block, and then I had a super busy summer. I just started Middle School- Only forgot my locker combo once! :P Also, I want to let you all know that the person this story is based on is just fine. I am so sorry if anyone had concerns about her. She didn't go to the extremes Serenity has and will go to- and is at a wonderful college right now. Again, I apologize for the worries that I may have started and thanks again for all of your support. I would've abandoned this long ago if it was not for you guys!


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